BRIDPORT boss Adam Fricker was left fuming at the officials as Bridport suffered a 5-2 Toolstation Western League Premier Division loss at high-fliers Bradford Town.

Karim Rendell’s brace, added to James Moon and Will Hailston strikes, plus a Sam Jordan penalty, gave Town a healthy winning margin as Leighton Thomas and Kameron Andrews netted for Bridport.

But Fricker was left disheartened by officials that he felt were not “physically fit” to oversee the game.

He said: “The officials were poor. They didn’t look physically fit for the game. They just weren’t quick enough to keep up with the pace of the game. The referee gave the penalty and he was stood on the halfway line.

“It’s frustrating because we have to train the lads to be physically fit. It doesn’t seem to be the same for the referees and officials unfortunately.”

Fricker also felt the 5-2 scoreline did not reflect the game.

He said: “It certainly wasn’t a 5-2, it totally flattered them. We were excellent, I can’t fault the lads.

“We dominated and had a couple of decisions gone the other way it could certainly have been a different outcome.”

Talking through the goals, Fricker reference the “contentious” penalty as “very soft”.

He said: “They scored from a corner, their lad at the back post had a tap-in which was disappointing on our part. We reacted really well, went back up the other end and a cross knocked in from Lee Sweet fell to Leighton and he headed it in. It got us back in the game.

“But it was a contentious penalty, their lad’s gone through, the ball’s spun over and Alan Martin has gone to clear and got there first. The ball’s gone out of play, he bumped into their lad and the ref has given a penalty. It was very soft. and 2-1 at half-time was undeserved.”

He added: “Their third was a ball into their box and their centre-half controlled it with his hand and the ref waves play on. They sucker punched us and scored for 3-1. The centre-half said he got away with one.

“Their fourth was a cross down the wing and it’s looped in off the far post. It summed our day up. The lads didn’t stop and Salts (Mark Salter) hit the crossbar before Kameron smashed one in from 25 yards.

“Their fifth has come from us pressing and they’ve hit us on the break and rounded Jason Hutchings.”

Ipsoregulated

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